In the cyclical oil and gas industry, developing a competitive advantage in efficiency and productivity is crucial for maximizing profits and minimizing costs. One of the key factors driving the top line value of crude oil revenue is its API gravity.
API gravity is a measure of oil's density relative to water and it plays an important role in the refining and pricing of crude oil. To achieve the desired API gravity for a specific crude oil batch, producers often turn to crude oil blending. This process involves combining crude oils from different well sites to attain the targeted API gravity, and it has traditionally been a challenging task. Engage Mobilize's Gravity Balancing Report, however, simplifies the crude blending process.
API (American Petroleum Institute) gravity is a standard measure used to quantify the density of crude oil. It indicates how “heavy” or “light” the oil is compared to water. Crude oil with an API gravity greater than 10 is considered lighter and will float on water, while oil with an API gravity less than 10 is heavier and will sink. Lighter crude oils typically fetch higher prices on the market due to their higher yield of valuable products during refining.
Crude oil blending is the practice of mixing crude oils with different API gravities and properties to create a blend that meets specific quality or market requirements. In many oilfields, wells produce from different geologic structures, or productive zones, each having different API gravities. By blending lighter oil from one well site with heavier crude produced at another, operators can adjust the overall API gravity, improve the quality of crude oil from the entire field and optimize its total value.
Blending crude oil offers numerous advantages for oil and gas operators:
Achieve a Target API Gravity: Refineries often require crude oils with specific API gravities to ensure optimal performance and yield during the refining process. By blending different oils, producers can meet these requirements and potentially obtain better prices for their product.
Maximize Revenue: By blending lighter and heavier oils, producers can create a blend that yields more valuable refined products, thus increasing revenue per barrel.
Generate Revenue Faster. Instead of waiting for two tanks to accumulate enough oil for a full load, aggregating crude from two (or more) partially filled tanks can create one full load that can be efficiently sold sooner.
Minimize Costs: Blending can help improve by reducing the proportion of contaminants in the crude, such as hydrogen sulfide (H2S) and decreasing the need for expensive “sour crude” treatments.
Boost Efficiency and Productivity: Identifying the right locations for blending can save time, transportation costs and streamline production processes.
The traditional method of achieving a specific API gravity was based on trial-and-error. Producers would collect samples from different well sites, analyze their properties in the lab, and then physically blend them in various proportions until the desired API gravity was obtained. This process was time-consuming, costly and inefficient.
Engage Mobilize's Gravity Balancing Report is a game-changer. It is a powerful tool that leverages technology to quickly compare API gravity of crude oil in storage tanks at different well sites. At a glance, you can view the API gravity previously input into the E-Ticketing platform from recent crude oil runs at various well sites and evaluate how blending can achieve a targeted API value.
The Gravity Balancing Report takes data from the Engage Mobilize E-Ticketing platform, including API gravity, and other characteristics. That information is then summarized and provided to the dispatcher who can identify the optimal combinations of crude oil from various well sites to achieve an API gravity target. The dispatcher can then direct the oil hauler in the closest proximity to the identified well sites, decreasing miles driven, reducing crude hauling costs and getting crude loadouts to their destinations faster.
Using the Engage Mobilize Crude Gravity Balancing Report is straightforward. Crude hauler drivers input the properties of their loadouts into the software, including API gravity. The Gravity Balancing Report aggregates that data and makes it available to dispatchers in an email delivered straight to their desktop, laptop or mobile device. Dispatchers can use that information to make blending decisions and efficiently assign loads to specific drivers.
The Engage Mobilize Crude Gravity Balancing Report offers a range of benefits for oil and gas producers:
Maximize Crude Oil Revenue: By producing blends with the desired API gravity, producers can secure better prices for their oil and increase revenue per barrel.
Get Revenue Faster. More efficient crude hauling means loadouts get to their final destinations faster, accelerating cash flow.
Minimize Costs: The software's intelligent blending recommendations can potentially reduce the need for costly treatments and transportation expenses.
Increased Productivity: The report helps producers identify the nearest well sites for blending, streamlining the process and reducing overall production time.
Improved Efficiency: By rapidly identifying the best blending opportunities, the report enables producers to capitalize on market conditions faster and make informed decisions.
Better Environmental Performance. More efficient dispatching contributes to fewer miles driven, reducing emissions and providing an improved safety profile.
Engage Mobilize's Gravity Balancing Report helps you leverage Intelligent Field Operations Software to make the traditional trial-and-error crude oil blending process more efficient, productive and fast. By efficiently achieving the desired API gravity, you can maximize revenue, minimize costs and enhance overall efficiency in your production processes. Embracing advanced technology like the Gravity Balancing Report can help you strengthen your competitive advantage.
To learn more about how the Engage Mobilize Gravity Balancing Report can help you boost the productivity and efficiency of your crude hauling operations, call (720) 575-6695 or email Sales@engage-m.com